CAMP SHELBY JOINT FORCES TRAINING CENTER, Miss. — They share the same blue eyes and short blonde hair with a slight red tint. They both have a certain monotonous tone about their speech, accompanied by a friendly undertone that makes you want to listen anyway. They both call Ashland, Ohio, their home. They share the same camouflage uniform, the same unit patch and now share the same mission in Afghanistan. They are brothers serving in the Ohio Army National Guard's Company C, 237th Support Battalion, 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
"We always end up telling stories of when we're at basic training or (Advanced Individual Training) and comparing stories," said 22-year-old, Spc. Zachary Smith. "You know exactly what the other is talking about, or you're making fun of him because he had it easier than you."
"We're not even going to start this battle!" his 26-year-old brother, Spc. Kyle Smith, interrupts, half smiling.
Kyle joined the Ohio Army National Guard more than three years ago; Zachary followed eight months later.
"When I saw Kyle get in, it made me think more about it," Zachary said, and then started grinning. "It helped that he tricked me."
Both of the brothers agree, however, that their biggest influence to join the Army was their father, retired Maj. Brian Smith, the former commander of Company C.
"For me, I honestly didn't even know what job I was taking." Zachary said. "Dad said he had a medical slot, so sign me up. What am I doing?"
He joined his father's former unit as a health care specialist alongside Kyle, a behavioral health specialist.
"It's different," said Kyle, a senior accounting major at Ohio State University. "I study finance on the civilian side, so it's not anything I've done before. It's a challenge, but I like challenges."
Zachary, on the other hand, joined the Guard right out of high school and was unsure of what profession he wanted to pursue.
"It just so happened that I happened to fall in love with my job, and that has led me to going to nursing school," Zachary said.
Formerly attending Tiffin University and North Central State, Zachary said he plans to attend the University of Toledo for nursing after his deployment, and Kyle will finish his senior year at Ohio State.
Though the young men have plans after the deployment, both said they are focused on the mission at hand.
"I've been excited about it since we were told about it over a year ago," Kyle said.
The Smith brothers are not the only ones excited for their deployment however, as their father became the leader of the unit's Family Readiness Group, an organization of Soldiers,
civilian employees, Family members and volunteers who provide support and communication for the Families of Soldiers. FRG functions are critical to Soldiers' and their Families' resilience during deployment.
"I think he was more excited about it than we were," Zachary said, though their mother felt differently.
"Mom doesn't try to think about it a whole lot," he said.
Despite the worry about two of her four children supporting overseas contingency operations, Sonia Smith said she still supports her sons' decision with a positive attitude.
"She always tells people that we're sleeping in the same bunk, beside each other, holding hands when we go to bed," Zachary said "So that's what she pictures, even though it's nowhere remotely close to what's actually (happening)."
Holding hands isn't likely however, as the Smith brothers will be busy.
"We both have our own separate jobs, so he'll be busy doing his own thing, I'll be busy doing my own thing, but at the same time (we're) going through the exact same struggle," Zachary said.
"You have someone to go home with, share the frustrations with and share the… good times?" Kyle asked with apparent sarcasm. "It's think it's definitely a good thing though, you have someone that you're close with and share the same experiences with."
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